By Eric Longabardi
The 2012 Olympic Games in London are little over a month away. As the world prepares, U.S. althletes are doing the same.
This past weekend here in Newport Beach some of the best water polo players in the world met for a pre-Olympic tune-up. The matches pitted the USA verus Croatia and Hungary. In the 2008 Olympics in Beijing the USA was beat out for the gold medal by Hungary.
One of America's top players is a Newport Beach native. His name is John Mann. Mann is a Corona Del Mar High School graduate and played college water polo at the University of California at Berkeley. His resume and acomplishments in the water are lengthy, but to put it simply, Mann is one heck of a water polo player and one of the world's best.
Having grown up in Newport Beach I have followed the sport and seen a few water polo matches over the years. It's a sport I never played, but always greatly admired. It's one of the toughest sports on the planet to play. You not only have to swim with no rest or timeouts continuously, the rough and sometimes violent nature of the sport is mostly hidden from view as the action takes place mostly underwater.
That's why guys like John Mann are crucial. Mann is what we call 'one big dude' around the beach. He's 6'5", 250-pounds. He could be a starting lineman for a NFL football team based on size alone. He also swims like a dolphin and he moves though the water like an orca stalking its prey.
I had the chance to meet Mann in person at the recent event here in Newport. He turned out to be probably one of the nicest gentlist giants I have ever met. I have met a few "big guys" over the years in my work as a journalist and personally. Let's just say some of them are not exactly the most calm and laid back guys. John seemed about as laid back Newport cool as they come.
Take a look at my interview with Mann:
I recently penned a feature news story about Mann and another U.S. water polo standout for the women's USA olympic team named Tumua Anae for the Newport Beach Independent newspaper that I write for.
After the matchs last Saturday and Sunday I got a chance to chat with Mann about the upcoming Olympics and him playing in front of his family and friends here in Newport.
I hope you'll join me in wishing the USA Water Polo team and Mann the best of luck in London. Bring home the gold to Newport John, we'll be rooting for you!
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